Cartridge-case for artillery-shells.



H. E. LINDQUIST. CARTRI DfiE CASE FOR ARTILLERY SHELLS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 119L5- 1,233,071 Patented July 10,1917.

Invenforf UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. Lnmems'r, or nos'ron, mssaenusm'rs.

CARTRIDGE-CASE FOB ARTILLERY-SHI ELLS.

Specification of Letters rum.-

Applleation filed September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LINDQUIST,

citizen of the United States, and resident of.

Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartrid e-. Cases for Artillery-Shells, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to artillery shells,

and more particularly has reference to the container or casing which holds the firing charge for impelling the shell from the gun.

Herctofore it has been the practice to make these cases of sheet brass which are formed into shape by successive drawing operations and which are then machined to size, thus involving a considerable expenditure of labor besides requirin a relatively expensive material whichis a so subject to considerable expansion with changes in temperature. 7

It is the object of the present invention to produce a charge-container or cartridge cas- 1ng for artillery shells which shall be free from the principal objections and short-comings heretofore experienced in this class of articles. To this end the invention comprises essentially a cartridge casing .for an tillery shells whose main portion comprises a tubular member of extremely hard dense vulcanized fiber whose exterior is turned down to appropriate taper to fit the bore of the gun, and whose rear end is formed to have interlocking engagement with a metallic cap which closes the 'rear end;

This and other features of the invention will be more articularly' explained hereinafterdand de ned in the claims hereto annexe In the accompanying drawings I have' the requisite taper to t guns of larger caliher, .and because this material does not possess sufiicient strength for such use, and furthermore because of itsj'easy deformation or distortion from shape. For these and other reasons, the expensive and laboriously made brass shells form the only cartridge cases for artillery shells heretofore used.

I have discovered that it is possible to pro-. duce a highly satisfactory cartridge fronf acylindrical tube formed of very hard dense vulcanized fiber which has been soaked for a sufiicinet length of time to eliminate all, or substantially all, of the acid or free chemical ingredient.

This tubing is made over a cylindrical mandrel in the usual manner but of a uni- Patented July 10,1917.

form diameter and having a thickness to allow the exterior to be turned down to the proper'taper to fit the breech portion of the 4 gun into which it is to be inserted.

It is'especially important'that the laminated fiber be made extremely hard and dense and-that before the drying process the tubing shall be subjected to along and therough soaking to eliminate as much as possible all free chemical agents or acids, after which it is subjected to a thorough drying.

When the tube is thoroughly dry, the exterior is then turned down 1n a lathe in order to fit the bore of the gun.

In the drawings adesignates the tubular casing turned down with th e requisite external taper, and it will be observed that at its rear end the tube is reduced. in diameter and is provided with a heavy screw-thread,

as shown at a so as to adaptit to receive the internal screw-threaded brass or metallic cap 6. The'fit at this point should be a close one, and, therefore, it may lee advantageous to heat the metallic cap I) somewhat above atmospheric temperature before screwing it upon the rear end of the tubing a,so

that the shrinkage on cooling will make a very snug fit.

To stiffen and reinforce the forward portion of the cartridge casing, I may in the case of the larger calibers cut awa the material, as at a to receivea closetting reinforcin band or ring 0 which is shrunk on at the point.

The tubing a may advantageously be water-proofed by the application of paraffin or other suitable water-proof coating and particularly at the point of contact with themetal cap so that in case there should be asufiicient residuum of chemical reagents in' the interiorv of the fiber when it has been machined, this coating will protect the metal palrts against corroslon from such chemica s. a

In Fig. 2 I have shown a slightly modified form of the cartridge casing in which the rear end of the tubing a is cut away on the interior, as shown at a in order to aeceibve an external screw-threaded cap mem- In both cases, the shell or projectile d is shown inserted in the forward ends of the respective cases.

Since ordina grades of the vulcanized fiber cannot satisfactorily undergo the 'machining operations required for this construction, and since, moreover, they usuall contain too large a percentage of the chemical reagents according to the vulcanized portions, it is of great importance that the tubing used be' formed of a very hard dense grade and that the free chemicals shall be substantially eliminated to prevent corros10n.

It will, of course, be understood that the term vulcanized fiber employed herein has reference to that product which is obtained by the process 0 treatin cotton fiber or rag stock by chemical sa ts and other reagents to convert it into cellulose by proc- 'part of the bore of the gun, and a metallic ca firmly secured to the rear end of said tu ing, substantiallyv as described.

2. A cartridge case for artillery shells embracing an integral tube of hard vulcanized fiber whose mass is substantially free from chemical reagents whose interior surface is cylindrical and whose exterior surface is turned to an appropriate taper, the rear end of said tubing being formed with a screw-thread, and a metallic cap arranged to fit the rear end and having screw-threads formed to engage and interlock with the threads on said tube, substantially as described.

In -witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

HENRY E. 'LINDQUI ST. 

